What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft struck tail during takeoff rotation from a remote Alaska mining strip. The first indication of a problem occurred during climbout when the aircraft would not pressurize. Inspection upon landing revealed an approximately two foot tear in the aircraft skin, just in front of the tail skid-plate. A subsequent survey of the strip revealed that the aircraft had just passed over a slight rise in the runway surface (approximately two foot elevation gain in 100 feet horizontal distance) when rotation was initiated, thereby decreasing tail clearance and allowing it to slightly contact the surface momentarily. The crew (pilot, copilot, flight engineer and a loadmaster) did not hear or feel anything unusual during takeoff or rotation. It is suspected that the slight rise in the runway and/or possible rotation on the part of the pilot caused contact with the runway and resultant substantial damage to the aircraft. A pre-operation strip check was accomplished by the company) prior to operating into this remote runway. Documentation did not identify any rise or dip in the runway surface near the point of rotation.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT STRUCK TAIL DURING TAKEOFF ROTATION FROM A REMOTE ALASKA MINING STRIP. THE FIRST INDICATION OF A PROBLEM OCCURRED DURING CLIMBOUT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT PRESSURIZE. INSPECTION UPON LANDING REVEALED AN APPROXIMATELY TWO FOOT TEAR IN THE AIRCRAFT SKIN, JUST IN FRONT OF THE TAIL SKID-PLATE. A SUBSEQUENT SURVEY OF THE STRIP REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST PASSED OVER A SLIGHT RISE IN THE RUNWAY SURFACE (APPROXIMATELY TWO FOOT ELEVATION GAIN IN 100 FEET HORIZONTAL DISTANCE) WHEN ROTATION WAS INITIATED, THEREBY DECREASING TAIL CLEARANCE AND ALLOWING IT TO SLIGHTLY CONTACT THE SURFACE MOMENTARILY. THE CREW (PILOT, COPILOT, FLIGHT ENGINEER AND A LOADMASTER) DID NOT HEAR OR FEEL ANYTHING UNUSUAL DURING TAKEOFF OR ROTATION. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE SLIGHT RISE IN THE RUNWAY AND/OR POSSIBLE ROTATION ON THE PART OF THE PILOT CAUSED CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY AND RESULTANT SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. A PRE-OPERATION STRIP CHECK WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY THE COMPANY) PRIOR TO OPERATING INTO THIS REMOTE RUNWAY. DOCUMENTATION DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY RISE OR DIP IN THE RUNWAY SURFACE NEAR THE POINT OF ROTATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N401LC · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.